1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to the field of mobile communications and computer processing and more particularly, to a system, method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing location based services, mobile e-commerce, and other functions.
2. Discussion of the Background
Mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDA) include functionality that is typically limited to providing a telephone communication link, which can be also sometimes used as a data communication link, and a set of software programs such as a calendar, email client, mini-browser, word processor, and other similar user applications. Such devices therefore typically have limited functionality. Generally, very few of such devices include image input capabilities, voice recording capabilities, significant voice control capabilities, location determining or location based capabilities, or other capabilities described herein.
In addition, portable devices are often carried with users who travel through cities, shopping complexes, and other facilities and geographical areas. However, currently portable devices do not provide users with many services and functions that are related to, or based on, the user's location or changes in location. Similarly, while such devices often have capabilities for providing a telephone communication link, very few provide capabilities for providing wireless Local Area Network (LAN), wireless Personal Area Network (PAN), or any other wireless network communications. Furthermore, such devices typically do not include Web services capabilities or access thereto. As a result of these deficiencies and others, such devices fail to provide substantial mobile e-commerce services, location based functions, and functions or services available through the use of a wireless LAN.
Furthermore, to date, venders have not been able to take advantage of location information associated with customers and potential customers or obtain information about prospective customers. Typically, a vender only identifies the customer, if at all, when the person makes a purchase. Consequently, venders are typically not aware of the nearby or approaching presence of a past customer, potential customer, or person seeking a product that the vender offers. In addition, even if a vender had such information, venders have no mechanism in place for presenting advertisements to the person or otherwise enticing the user to visit the vender store location or make a purchase. Furthermore, even if such a mechanism was in place, the vender typically has no information about the person that can be used as a basis for selecting of an advertisement to be presented to the person or customizing the advertisement and the person has little incentive for viewing such an advertisement.
These and other deficiencies are overcome by the present invention which provides a system, method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing location based services, location based mobile e-commerce, automated processing, wireless network communications, mobile telephone communications, and many other functions and services described herein.